Ryn needed more information. As valuable as Amelia and Maria's information were, they'd most likely been passed through official channels and were dulled on purpose.

Every other route led back to the same problem.

House Grandal stood too close to the throne. Anything uncertain would be filtered out instantly.

Amelia wasn't being trusted with the truth.

She was being kept presentable.

That realization settled quickly. The longer Ryn considered it, the clearer the path became.

He lifted his hood, letting the wind brush lightly through his dark purple hair as he stood before the estate. The Arctis delegation compound sat higher than most, its placement making it a hassle to navigate through the upper terraces of the "Light".

Ryn stopped at the edge of the grounds and looked up at the banners snapping overhead.

For a moment, he considered turning away.

Not because he was unwelcome.

But because he and the Arctis heir had never seen eye to eye.

Even so, this was the only option left.

If answers existed, they wouldn't be handed out.

They'd have to be taken quietly, directly…from someone who couldn't afford to be ignorant.

Rio Arctis, heir of House Arctis, and Chief of Security for the Event.

The guards didn't stop him.

They noticed him, but recognition spread faster than suspicion. One of them straightened, then nodded once before stepping aside.

"Sir Ryn," the man said, voice careful.

Ryn inclined his head. "I'd like to speak with Rio, please."

The servant hesitated just long enough to be noticed.

"I'll inform him," he said, then gestured. "This way."

Ryn followed without comment.

The interior of the Arctis compound was quieter than the grounds outside.

Stone corridors swallowed sound, their design favoring privacy over display. Ryn noted the absence of attendants lingering in hallways, the heir had always liked travelling light.

They stopped before a modest door, one that was usually reserved for guest meetings and appointments.

So he won't receive me at his office.

"Enter," came a voice from within.

Ryn exhaled softly.

Whatever waited on the other side of that door—

It wasn't going to be cordial.

The door closed behind him with a heavy thud, sealing away the corridor's quiet.

Rio Arctis was already seated.

The heir occupied the space the way he did everything else, deliberately. One hand rested against the arm of the chair, the other loosely holding a document he wasn't reading. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes were sharp, measuring Ryn from the moment he crossed the threshold.

For half a heartbeat, Ryn felt the familiar tension coil in his chest.

Then he let it go.

His shoulders loosened. His expression softened.

It's been a while since he played politics. Nonetheless, Ryn knew exactly what Rio's opinions about him were…and he'd play exactly into it.

"Oh," Ryn said mildly, glancing around the room. "This place got renovated. Huh."

Rio's brow twitched.

Ryn strolled forward without waiting to be invited, hands slipping casually into his pockets. He stopped a respectful distance away, then offered a lazy nod.

"Didn't think you'd actually agree to see me," he added. "Figured I'd get bounced at the gate."

Rio leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing slightly.

"You usually do."

Ryn smiled sheepishly, entirely unthreatening.

"Yeah," he admitted. "Fair."

The shift was complete. Just a noble who looked like he'd wandered in because he was bored.

Rio exhaled through his nose.

"Why are you here, Ryn?"

Ryn tilted his head, as if genuinely considering the question.

"Aster's nice," he said.

"Figured I'd see it before everything kicked off. Big event and all." He shrugged.

"Thought it'd be cool."

Rio stared at him.

Then he laughed, sharp and humorless.

"Unbelievable," he muttered. "You show up now, of all times, because you're sightseeing?"

Ryn spread his hands. "Timing's always been my thing."

From Rio's perspective, it was exactly what he'd expected.

From Ryn's—

It was camouflage.

And it was working.

Rio leaned back in his chair, fingers drumming once against the armrest.

"You have no idea how bad the timing is," he said flatly.

Ryn blinked. "I mean… I figured it was busy?"

"That's not what I mean." Rio scoffed. "You wouldn't understand it anyway."

Ryn tilted his head, feigning mild curiosity.

"I would? Isn't that normal for an event of such scale?"

Rio shook his head, irritation simmering beneath his composure.

"Whatever, you're thinking…it's way bigger. Just as it was going nice and dandy, they reassigned me."

Ryn perked up a little. "Reassigned?"

"Yes," Rio said flatly. "It was originally inside Aster."

He scoffed. "You know—what I was actually brought here to do."

Ryn nodded along. "Makes sense."

"It did," Rio snapped. "Right up until yesterday."

He stood again, pacing once before stopping short, as if the thought itself annoyed him.

"They pulled me off half my duties and gave me a new task," he continued. "Leading scouting groups."

Ryn blinked. "Scouting…?"

"Outside the city."

Rio let out a slow breath through his nose, like he was trying not to snap.

"And it wasn't just scouting," he said. "They gave me permits."

Ryn paused mid-shrug. "Permits? What kind?"

"Official ones," Rio confirmed.

That finally earned a flicker of real interest from Ryn, but he buried it just as quickly.

"For where?" he asked casually.

Rio's jaw tightened.

"Dheam. Khaz Vordun. Yggdrasil." He hesitated, then added, "And Aeralis."

"You don't mean…?"

"Yes," Rio said flatly. "Capitals of the other races. Cities that usually don't accept human presence, without weeks of negotiation."

He scoffed. "And yet the paperwork cleared immediately."

Silence followed.

The pieces were locking together into a shape he didn't like.

This was far bigger than he'd imagined.

The Hero's Ceremony had never needed this. In his first life, it had been a human tradition, a ceremony that the other races never cared for.

Yet…why do they care now?

"…That doesn't make sense," Ryn muttered.

Rio looked at him sharply. "What?"

Ryn blinked, realizing he'd spoken out loud.

He recovered quickly, waving a hand as if dismissing his own thought.

"I mean—sorry. Just seems like overkill, right?"

He chuckled lightly. "Scouting half the world for a ceremony?"

The excuse landed.

But Rio didn't look convinced.

"Overkill?" he repeated.

Ryn shrugged, slipping fully back into his careless tone.

"Feels like someone panicked and threw permits around."

Rio scoffed. "If that were true, I'd understand it."

Ryn smiled faintly.

Inside, the chill settled deeper.

Because panic was messy.

This wasn't.

This was preparation…for consequences that wouldn't stay in Aster. For something that would ripple outward the moment it began.

He had to figure out what this was…and soon.

Because all the plans he'd made—for the Ceremony—

Were being unraveled before it even began.

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